Savior
by briar black death rose
Summary: He wished it was a joke, but it wasn't. Ichigo wished it was a dream, but it wasn't. Nothing was a dream in his life; it was a nightmare. He didn't have the power to escape, only survive. Full description inside.


**Briar: This is a new story and I just wanted to give you a full description since ff limits letters:**

He wished it was a joke, but it wasn't. Ichigo wished it was a dream, but it wasn't. Nothing was a dream in his life; it was a nightmare. He didn't have the power to escape, only survive. After years of his mother and twin's sister's death, drunken beatings with his father and abuse from his girlfriend of ten years, Ichigo thought he could have the power to protect himself but he couldn't. At six he became a monster, something he always wanted to be before his mother died. He wanted to be a vampire to protect his mother but then decided on a were-tiger since they had strength and couldn't kill people, however, even with the power of a were-tiger Ichigo couldn't even save himself. Now he's met a counsellor who tries to help him through the pain.

**Briar: End of description...Also, I need a beta reader. I haven't had one in awhile so if anyone wants to volunteer I wouldn't mind. I also think I changed the age of Karin and Yuzu but hush, I did it because I wanted to.**

At age twenty-three Kurosaki Ichigo was living a life that one would not consider healthy but he had nowhere else to go. Living with his girlfriend of ten years, Riruka Dokugamine, he was stuck in the relationship but he always told himself it was love. He wasn't stuck because of their finacial issues because that was his fault for holding a minimum paying job while his girlfriend worked on being Japan's next top model. Ichigo and Riruka were friends as long as he had been friends with Tatsuki Arisawa but eventually Riruka demanded that he end the friendship with not only Tatsuki but all his friends. The reason for that being that they weren't cute enough and that they didn't deserve to be in her presence; Riruka loved cute items. Bunnies, dolls, stuffed animals, anything that was cute she wanted and Ichigo at one point had been one of them.

At first Ichigo was hesitant and had snuck behind her back to meet his friends but once she found out he was punished. She had found a beautifully colored shiny pink baseball bat that was cute and decided to swing it against Ichigo's body unexpectedly when he arrived at her house only to break a few of his ribs. The utter shock had him shouting in pain and without hesitating she swept her feet against his legs, causing him to fall to the floor. With Ichigo defenseless she stomped on his chest, causing grunts of pain from Ichigo's mouth. His chocolate colored eyes filled with tears looked at her in confusion: why would she hit him? What did he do wrong?

"Don't hang around those _ugly_ friends of yours or I'll find out; I always do," Riruka warned before leaving the room. However, just as she reached the door she looked back at Ichigo. "And if you tell anyone about this I'll make sure you lose everything you hold near and dear. Love you, Ichi."

Riruka blew a kiss at Ichigo before leaving the room and having Ichigo stare at the spot his girlfriend once was in awe; Ichigo was fourteen at the time. He didn't know what to think of Riruka except wondering if she was bipolar. The force she used left Ichigo wheezing in pain and biting his lip to hold back the screams he wished he could say. However, he knew it wouldn't last long and he wouldn't have to go to a hospital. Being a were-tiger had its perks.

When Ichigo was six his mother had taken him home from karate. Their father was out of town and was going to return the following morning. The babysitter was unable to watch the twins and Tatsuki's mom wasn't able to walk Ichigo home from karate nor drive him so Masaki had to take the young twins out in the middle of winter. Karin and Yuzu weren't even a year old and still new to the world. It was the middle of winter so it was dark by the time karate was over and they had to walk home in the dark. The twins were bundled up with a blanket in the duel stroller while Ichigo had a winter coat, scarf and boots for winter wear. He could see his breath as he walked with his hand in his mother's.

"Mama, can we have hot chocolate when we get home?" the child had asked his mother.

"Of course honey," Masaki replied with a warm smile.

The orange haired boy smiled back with a grin as warm as the sun just like his mother's. However, just as they reached the bridge Ichigo heard a rustling noise. Said noise caused the boy to freeze to hear it once more. There was no other noise and he couldn't help but have confusion mare his features. He had released his mother's hand during the short time causing Masaki to stop as well and look at her child. She didn't understand why her eldest child stopped so suddenly.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" Masaki asked.

"I heard something," Ichigo said.

"It was probably nothing, come on it's getting cold," Masaki urged her child. "You don't want yourself or the twins to get a cold, do you?"

Ichigo shook his head and did as his mother asked but didn't hold Masaki's hand as they continued walking. Masaki thought nothing of it since Ichigo sometimes didn't want to hold her hand. It was then that small snowflakes began to fall from the sky that had Ichigo momentarily forget the noise he had heard and excitement filled his body to the brim. Ichigo loved snow more than anything because it meant he could make snowmen; this year he would make a mini snowman army. The young child had hoped that it would snow all night so he could do such. It was Sunday unfortunately but there could be a snowday if he was lucky. He prayed that he could have a snowday or at least play in the snow after supper.

Yet, that excitement was quelled with the rustling sound again followed by the sound of footprints. This time Ichigo would insist that there was something wrong. Just because he was six didn't mean he would make up lies about the sounds he heard.

"Mama, I heard it again," Ichigo told his mother. "There's something out there."

Masaki sighed before crouching down to be at her son's eye-level. "Ichigo, there are no monsters in the dark, you know that. It'll be okay, I promise. Now let's go home."

Ichigo huffed out a breath of exasperation before doing what was told. He didn't like being treated so lightly but when he was proved right he could never feel worse. He'd have taken it all back if he could. A large black figure appeared in front of them and it was in the shape of a big cat. Masaki froze before lifting Ichigo up on her shoulders. When she was a child her mother had always told her that cougars were scared of tall creatures so she hoped that this would work in her favor.

The cat did not seem threatened at such an act of display. By now Masaki had the twins in her arms and she was slowly backing away but the cat moved faster. It lunged at the woman, deadly claws sinking into her skin as she cried out in pain. Ichigo had fallen onto the cement and his head hit the cement. The blow wasn't fatal but he was knocked unconscious and one of the creature's claws had pierced the flesh in his leg when it was on top of Masaki.

While he was unconscious he hadn't seen the creature kill his mother as well as the twins who laid in their mother's arms. The creature had left Ichigo, knowing he would die soon enough. Most wouldn't think an animal couldn't hold such intelligence but that was because the large cat was a were-creature; a were-panther. One who had gone rogue. If it weren't for a jogger who came by not too long after, Ichigo might have died from hypothermia. The ambulance had taken him in in hopes of saving the child.

Masaki carried her identification and they tried to contact Kurosaki Isshin by looking up their number in the phone book. They had nothing until the young child woke up and revealed that his father would return tomorrow. Knowing that, the police decided to wait so that they could contact Isshin. Ichigo would remain in the hospital to make sure he was stable. His injuries weren't too intense but the blow to his head could turn out to be a concussion. They wanted to make sure at least one of Kurosaki Isshin's children survived the fatal accident.

"Where's my momma?" Ichigo asked.

"She's sleeping," a nurse lied, not wanting to break the child's heart.

"Can I see her?" Ichigo wondered.

The nurse shook her head. "Your dad will come tomorrow to talk to you. Would you like a coloring book or paper and crayons?"

"Paper and crayons please," Ichigo chose. "I'm gonna make a picture for my momma and daddy."

The nurse looked away to hide the sadness in her eyes. The boy wouldn't know until tomorrow about his mother's fate.

It wasn't long until Isshin had been driven to drinking. He wasn't an alcoholic by any means but when he drank once or twice a week he would black out and would storm into Ichigo's room to beat him. By then, Ichigo had contracted a virus that turned him into a were-tiger at will unlike the werewolves he had seen on television that did such on a full moon once a month.

Ichigo had been discharged from school early for winter break and he had learned how to control his transformation fast so that he wouldn't be taken away. It took some time and he learned only when he was angry that he would shift. There were warning signs that indicated a shift and it forced Ichigo to calm down. But now, with the power and strength his unique ability gave him he couldn't protect himself from the fists that struck him. He healed faster than normal but not as fast as he would in seven years. His father was amazed when he was sober but his drunken mind knew that it was in his favor as well. Being a doctor also meant that Isshin could heal Ichigo himself. At first the school had thought it was child abuse but Ichigo had also gotten in fights before as well so they dismissed it after they witnessed on and an older boy almost broke Ichigo's arm.

Tatsuki had stood up for him as did Riruka. He also had another female friend named Rukia Kuchiki who was attending the elementary school because her older brother wanted to use their fortune on home tutors where public schools could fail rather than use a private school with their vast amount of money until Rukia was in middle school or high school. Those three girls were his only friends until Ichigo hit middle school but he'd never tell them his secret.

So here Ichigo was, age twenty-three, walking to his meeting with his counselor. He wasn't seeing a psychiatrist for his depression but he knew it was time he went and told someone his problems. He didn't go anywhere without Riruka but she was spending a few months on vacation in Mexico. She decided to leave Ichigo because he was too pathetic to introduce to her friends. It was the winter here so it made sense that she would go somewhere warm. Ichigo always wore long sleeved shirts and jeans unless his job demanded he wear dress pants. They hid the bruises and scars Riruka had left as well as the self-inflicting wounds he had dealt himself over the years in attempts of suicide or to test his healing abilities.

"I don't even know why I'm bothering," Ichigo muttered to himself as he entered Las Noches mental health building.

It had taken him one bus ride and a thirty minute walk to the clinic but with the sun shining he figured it wasn't that bad. The fact he was a were-tiger, a creature only other were-creatures, demons or monsters could sense, made it all the more hard to be in public. His nose could smell the strong scent of the building but it was better than the disinfecting scent of a hospital.

There were posters that littered a few walls about the tracks of getting better only causing Ichigo to snort before walking up to the desk. There was a note saying he had to sign in before seating himself.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked.

"Kurosaki Ichigo and I'm here to see Jeagerjaques," Ichigo said.

"Time?" The woman questioned.

"Eleven o'clock," Ichigo said.

"Can I have your date of birth?" The woman asked. "I just need to make sure you're you."

"July 15th 1991," Ichigo stated.

"Have a seat, I'll let Jeagerjaques know you're here," the woman told Ichigo.

Ichigo took a seat near the door and saw a few people sitting there who seemed to have the same problem as him. The room was silent and the white walls told nothing aside from ways for addicts to get better in a certain amount of steps. Ichigo rolled his eyes while listening to the sound of the clock ticking away. The door opened and Ichigo smelt a strong scent of mint but refused to turn around not knowing if it was his counselor or not.

It wasn't until a man who stood over six feet stood in front of him. Wild, unruly blue hair and eyes as deep of the sea looked at him making Ichigo stop thinking as he looked at very attractive man in front of him.

"Are you Kurosaki Ichigo?" the doctor asked.

Ichigo nodded his head.

The man gave Ichigo a smirk. "Good, I'm Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, come with me."

Ichigo did as Grimmjow did and the man used a proxy card to open the door leading to his room. It was down the hall filled with carpet and who would have guessed, white walls. The door said his last name on it and Ichigo sat down on the seat next to the door as Grimmjow sat across from him.

"So, before we begin I'll let you know I'll be here to see what's wrong with you, Ichigo," Grimmjow began, "but before that, what type of were-creature are you?


End file.
